Yipsi Moreno of Cuba qualifies for the Hammer final (© Getty Images)
Padua, ItalyYipsi Moreno of Cuba, the women’s double World Hammer champion produced a magnificent 75.06 effort, a meeting record to win at the EAA meeting Città di Padova. The hammer competition was contested on Saturday (3 July) with the main programme of the meeting taking place yesterday, Sunday 4 July.
Four throwers over 70m
This is Moreno’s third performance of her career over 75m following her 75.18 (Habana 2004) and 75.14 (Savona 2003) efforts.
Second place in Padua was China’s 2002 World Cup winner Yuan Gu with 72.36, a new personal best. Wenxiu Zhang narrowly failed to improve her own World Junior record by just seven cm with 72.35 to take third. In a high-quality competition with four athletes over the 70 metres barrier Yunaika Crawford finished fourth with 71.40 ahead of the italian record holder Ester Balassini fifth with 68.50.
“I am very happy with my performance because it confirms that I am in good shape and my preparation is going according to plan. I will go to Athens to give my best. Let’s see what happens there”, said Moreno.
Martinez prevails against the wind
Despite a strong head wind of -1.1 m/s which affected the final result, Italy’s Magdelin Martinez, third in the world this year with 15.03 (italian record) tied the meeting record of 14.61 set by the world outdoor record holder Inessa Kravetz in 1994. The European U23 silver medallist Simona La Mantia finished second with 14.34, fifteen centimetres off her fresh national U23 record set in Turin on 4 June.
“I had some problems because of the strong head wind which disturbed my runway. Anyway I did not plan a new italian record after last week’s 15.03 in Forte dei Marmi. I consider this a good test, so I am happy”, explained Martinez.
Longo wins 800m
Local favourite Andrea Longo, who was born in Piove di Sacco near Padua, won the 800 metres in 1:46.74 just two days after his fifth place in 1:44.48 in Rome on Friday night. The pacemaker Anderson Dos Santos led at the bell in 51.41. At that point Longo was in the pack and moved to the lead with 200 metres to go. The italian, fifth placer at the Paris World Championships, launched a determined kick which left behind Patrick Nduwuimana from Burundi, second with 1:46.90.
Return of sprint heroine in relay
Manuela Levorato was the other local favourite on show. The European sprint bronze medallist made her first outdoor appearance after a season ravaged by a tendon injury which had followed a good indoor campaign. Manuela, born in Arino di Dolo, near Padua, anchored the 4x100 Italian relay team which clocked 44.14. The team made up of Elena Sordelli, Vincenza Calì, Manuela Grillo and Manuela Levorato did not succeed in running in 43.75, the time necessary to move into one of the 16 Olympic qualifying spots.
“We need to try again perhaps in two weeks in Formia. Unfortunately, the head wind affected our result. Anyway, my leg was good. After a difficult period this race was a good test. I am happy that my season has begun in Padua in front of my fans. After just one month of good training I don’t know what I can aim for this season, but I am confident,” said Levorato.
Liu Xiang wins in 13.41
The other star of the Padua meeting was the Chinese 110 metres Hurdles star Liu Xiang who won in 13.41, two days after his very narrow defeat at the photo finish against Allen Johnson at the Rome Golden League meeting. Xiang Liu edged out other US hurdlers yesterday, Arend Watkins (13.47) and Aubrey Herring (13.60).
Sheron Simpson, one of the jamaican sprint rising stars after her seasonal best of 11.01 (third in the world seasonal list) set in St. George’s, won the women’s 100 metres dash in 11.27 with the greatest ease ahead of Ivory Coast’s Amandine Allou and the Italian U23 champion Vincenza Calì (fourth at the World Junior Championships in the 200 metres in Kingston) who recorded the same time of 11.55.
20.92 for Robberts in the Shot
Janus Robberts from South Africa won the men’s shot put with a good 20.92 release, not far from his seasonal best of 21.24 set last week in Prague. Zsolt Biber finished second with 20.51 ahed of the italian Paolo Dal Soglio, third with 19.79.
The Briton Lee McConnell, Commonwealth silver medallist in Manchester and European bronze medallist in Munich in 2002, set her seasonal best in the 400 metres with 50.87.
Idriss Sanou won the men’s 100 metres in 10.36, a result which was affected by three false starts and by a slight head wind of -0.6 m/s. Sanou beat Jamaica’s Anisley Waugh (10.45) and this year’s NCAA second placer Michael Frater, third in 10.50, far from his 10.06 clocked at the NCAA Champs in Austin (Texas).
The Italian Cristiana Checchi won the women’s shot put with 18.27 (seasonal best) and beat Brazil’s Elisangela Adriano (18.00), the Italian champion Assunta Legnante (17.95) and the promising Chiara Rosa, also from Italy (fourth at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston), who improved the national under 23 record with 17.76.
Manuel Damiao from Portugal won the men’s 1500 metres in 3:36.76 over the Australian Lachlan Chishlom (3:37.03) with a final kick in the home stretch.
Patrick Dwyer from Australia took a narrow win in the 400 metres in 46.29 over the Italian champion Andrea Barberi, second in 46.37.
Joseph Batangdon from Cameroon finished first in the men’s 200 metres in 20.84, two hundredths of a second faster than South Africa’s Morne Nagel.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
Selected results from the EAA meeting in Padua:
Men:
100 metres (-0.6 m/s): 1 Idriss Sanou (Burkina Faso) 10.36; 2 Anisley Waugh (Jamaica) 10.45; 3 Michael Frater (Jamaica) 10.50
200 metres: 1 Joseph Batangdon (Cameroon) 20.84; 2 Morne Nagel (South Africa) 20.86; 3 Morne Nagel (South Africa) 20.86; 4 Koura Kaba Fantoni (Italy) 21.00
400 metres: 1 Patrick Dwyer (Australia) 46.29; 2 Andrea Barberi (Italy) 46.37; 3 Luca Galletti (Italy) 46.39
800 metres: 1 Andrea Longo (Italy) 1:46.73; 2 Jean Patrick Nduwimana (Burundi) 1:46.90; 3 Livio Sciandra (Italy) 1:46.91
1500 metres: 1 Manuel Damiao (Portugal) 3:36.76; 2 Lachlan Chisholm (Australia) 3:37.03 (PB); 3 Abdi Youcef (Australia) 3:38.02
110 metres hurdles (+1.3 m/s): 1 Liu Xiang (China) 13.41; 2 Arend Watkins (Usa) 13.47; 3 Anubrey Herring (Usa) 13.60; 4 Andrea Giaconi (Italy) 13.67; 5 Dudley Dorival (Haiti) 13.72
400 metres hurdles: 1 Thomas Kortbeck (Holland) 50.08; 2 Gianni Carabelli (Italy) 50.18; 3 Michal Uhlik (Czech Republic) 50.53
Long Jump: 1 Jonathan Chimier (Mauritius) 7.94; 2 Nabil Adamou (Algeria) 7.73; 3 Stefano Dacastello (Italy) 7.70
Shot Put: 1 Janus Robberts (South Africa) 20.92; 2 Szolt Biber (Hungary) 20.51; 3 Paolo Dal Soglio (Italy) 19.79
Women:
100 metres (0.0 m/s): 1 Sherone Simpson (Jamaica) 11.27; 2 Amandine Allou (Ivory Coast) 11.55; 3 Vincenza Calì (Italy) 11.55
400 metres: 1 Lee McConnell (Great Britain) 50.87; 2 Hortense Bewouda (Cameroon) 51.87; 3 Fatou Bintou Fall (Senegal) 52.07
Triple Jump: 1 Magdelin Martinez (Italy) 14.61 (-1.1 m/s); 2 Simona La Mantia (Italy) 14.34; 3 Tiombe Hurd (Usa) 14.18
Pole Vault: 1 Krisztina Molnar (Hungary) 4.22; 2 Teja Melink (Slovenia) 4.22; 3 Francesca Zanini (Italy) 3.92
Shot Put: 1 Cristiana Checchi (Italy) 18.27 (PB); 2 Elisangela Adriano (Brazil) 18.00; 3 Assunta Legnante (Italy) 17.95; 4 Chiara Rosa (Italy) 17.76 (italian under 23 record)
4x100 relay: 1 Italy A 44.14; 2 Italy B 45.16
